Book Mark
by amehanaa
Summary: Receiving a computer for Christmas, Levy didn't think an anonymous comment would become one of her most valuable treasures.


Every Christmas, Levy only expected to be given two things: new books and new bookmarks. But for the first time this year, she was given something that was just as great; if not, better.

"I can read so many stories on a computer!" she cheered as it was installed into her bedroom. She gleamed at her new, electronic friend. When she was alone, she jumped onto her computer chair and began browsing the internet.

Naturally, Levy's first instinct was to search for any website related to books. It didn't take long for her to stumble upon a website solely dedicated to posting reviews on them. This was when her enthusiasm grew even more—she had the _perfect_ book to review first.

If she had to say how many times she had read her favorite book, she wouldn't be able to give an answer. After reading the book at least once every month, everything became a blur, just like her fingers were as they flew across her keyboard. It was as though she prepared this review for years.

A smile was permanently printed onto Levy's face after clicking the submit button. She didn't mind if no one read it; she was happy enough that it was there for anyone to see.

Since she wasn't too familiar with her electronic friend yet, she decided to end her Christmas night reading one of her new books. Paper was slightly better than a screen, anyway.

As the days passed, all of the new books had been read and Levy had utterly fallen in love with her computer. For once, books weren't the reason why she fell asleep late at night.

She had pretty much forgotten about the review she posted on Christmas night, but she did visit the website quite frequently to read other book reviews. When she logged in one evening and noticed a notification on the corner of her screen, she curiously clicked on it.

"How does the main character contribute to the central theme?" An anonymous comment asked on her review.

A faint gasp left Levy's lips as she perked up in her seat with interest. Before she even realized it, she was already typing a thoughtful response.

"This is so exciting," she whispered to herself while she replied to her first question ever.

Her anticipation only increased as her response promptly received another pensive question by the same anonymous user. With each comment they posted, the wider Levy's smile became.

For the first time, she was having an _actual_ conversation about one of her most beloved books. She didn't even notice the fact that it was two hours past her bedtime, so when she felt the conversation coming to an end, a yawn left her lips.

"Well, it was fun while it lasted," she admitted. She comfortably rocked in her seat as her thoughts roamed in her mind. She still wanted to talk to this person, whoever they were. Somehow, talking to them made her chest swell. She perked up in her seat again when she noticed another notification icon.

"Wow, this book is pretty cool. I'll have to read it someday," the anonymous user commented.

Levy frowned at the words. She hesitantly typed her response. "Wait a minute. You haven't read the book?"

"Nope, I'm just copying and pasting these questions from my homework packet. Thanks for telling me all the answers. See you."

"Did they really just…" Levy's voice trailed off, her eye twitching. This meaningful conversation she assumed she was having was actually a conversation with a _homework packet?_ Who did this person think they were?

Without a second thought, Levy's fingers stomped on each key as she typed the longest message she'd ever written. Not only did she disapprove of them using _her_ answers for a school assignment, but she felt as if she had been scammed. She really couldn't trust online strangers, after all.

"Good riddance," Levy muttered with a huff once she sent the message. Before she ended up sending another colorful message, she took a deep breath and tried to recollect her thoughts. Whoever this person was, she didn't want to speak to them again.

However, as the days went by, Levy found herself logging onto the website and checking if the anonymous user said anything back. It wasn't until a week when she received the notification. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth before clicking on the comment.

"Too late for that now, I got a grade on it already. Thanks, though. I'll have to make it up to you someday."

"Who do you think you are?!" Levy proclaimed frantically, eyes widening when she realized she said it aloud. She was milliseconds away from answering with even more vivid colors, but it was then when she deduced that it wasn't worth it.

"Hopefully they received a good grade on it, then." She sighed, trying to find the bright side to this situation. If she didn't, she'd surely explode.

Since having experienced her first online scam, Levy officially kept her guard up when it came to speaking to strangers. It was difficult since everyone else on the website spoke to her like they didn't have one mean bone in their body, but she just couldn't risk it.

After a month, Levy completely erased the memory of the anonymous user. Thinking about them made her stomach churn. Yet as soon as she found herself comfortable online again, a certain private message surfaced onto her computer screen. Expecting it to be one of her new friends, her heart sank when she found that it wasn't.

"Hey, it's me from before. I decided to make an account just for you. You're welcome. Anyway, I read the book. Now, I have real questions."

Levy couldn't believe her eyes. She even rubbed them just to make sure her screen wasn't playing any tricks. A part of her wanted to respond with the vivid message she had filed into the back of her mind, but she wasn't going to use it this time. Instead, she was going to get some answers.

"I won't answer your questions yet. Tell me, what grade did you get on your homework packet?" she inquired, typing with as much attitude she could place in a message.

"One hundred percent. Highest grade I've ever gotten in that class," they replied.

Levy couldn't stop the smug smile forming on her lips. She shook her head to regain focus. "Why did you pick my review?"

"It was the first one I found."

"Why did you decide to read the book now?"

"I don't really know. Can I ask my questions now?"

"Not yet. What's your name?"

"Gajeel. Why does it matter?"

Levy froze as she read the message. Heat began to creep up the back of her neck. In that moment, she felt nauseous. "He's a boy?" she nervously whispered to herself.

She hadn't really given this anonymous a gender; they were simply a person. But knowing that this anonymous was actually a male—a gender Levy hardly found herself speaking to—all of sudden, she felt ten times more self-conscious.

Never in her life had she ever spoken to a boy like she had to him. And now that she knew his name, Levy peered at her keyboard and wished it could type itself for once.

"Okay, I'm done with my questions. What do you want to know about the book?" she managed to type out. Her fingers felt stiff; her stomach felt queasy.

But, surprisingly, all of her anxiety diminished the instant he responded back with messages full of genuine questions. Levy's once black and white answers had transformed into a foreign gray. Not being able to answer his questions properly was exciting for not only Levy, but Gajeel, too.

"This book needs to be a movie someday," Gajeel wrote after his questions were satisfied.

"No way! The movie wouldn't even compare to the book," Levy disagreed. "The book is perfect the way it is."

"If you say so. I'm gonna go for the night. Talk to you later," he said.

Reading the message, Levy found herself wondering what the simple message implied. Did _later_ mean tomorrow? Two weeks? A month?

She furrowed her brows and puffed out her cheeks, not liking the feeling of the unknown. She was a bit impatient to begin with, so she wasn't sure how long she could wait for him to message her again.

And as though Gajeel could hear her thoughts from however far away he was, Levy watched a new message appear on the top of her screen. She moved her cursor so fast, she ended up exiting out of the website.

"Why did this have to happen now?!" she groaned. If she took too long to respond, she would surely have to wait as long as she thought she was going to. Once the website reloaded, she steadily opened the notification.

"I know I'm not going to remember to come on this website tomorrow, so here's my number. Text me, if you want."

Once again, Levy rubbed her eyes to confirm that those were the words that he actually wrote. They only spoke once, and now they were about to start texting? Was Gajeel normally this fast?

"What if you're some stalker who's just trying to get my information?" she accused, unexpectedly feeling defensive.

"I'm not, but I don't really care if you don't believe me. Just know that you're missing out on more conversations about your favorite book," he smoothly countered.

Levy bit her lip at the message. Regardless of how blunt he sounded, he convinced her with just the right words. With a deep breath, she typed her final message.

"Okay. Let me text you right now."

Putting in the most random set of numbers into her phone, Levy wasn't sure what to type as her first text. Despite the fact that they just had a several hour long conversation, her mind was completely blank.

She stared at her screen for a couple of moments before she realized she was taking _way_ too long to text him. She ended up settling with the only word that came to her mind.

"Hi."

"Took you long enough," Gajeel answered less than a minute later.

"I was doing something!" she protested, hoping her white lie wasn't too obvious. "Anyway, it's almost midnight where I am, so I have to go to sleep."

"Really? You're lucky. It's about to be one in the morning here."

Levy raised a perplexed brow in response. Somehow, the thought of Gajeel only being an hour ahead made him feel a lot closer to her. She couldn't keep herself from wondering where he lived, what kind of school he went to, how he looked—

"I don't even know him!" she mentally scolded herself, dismissing all her thoughts. Gajeel and her needed to have a few more conversations, _then_ she'd consider wondering little details about him—maybe.

"Goodnight, Gajeel," she eventually told him after her interests about him disappeared for the night.

"Night."

And with that, Levy shut off her phone and computer, slowly coming to terms with the fact that she just shared her phone number with a complete stranger.

Was it a good idea? Probably not.

Was it making her more eager than she thought it would? Absolutely.

* * *

Texting Gajeel was exhilarating. Levy had never messaged someone like him before.

They began texting in the afternoon, which trailed into night, then ended up continuing into the next morning. Before either of them were aware of it, there were texting nearly every hour of the day. Sometimes, Gajeel texted Levy twice in a row when he thought she forgot to reply.

"Told you I wasn't a stalker," Gajeel remarked after some time.

"I already apologized for calling you that!" Levy exclaimed.

"Words hurt, Levy," Gajeel teased. Ever since he learned her name, he made sure to say it at least once a day. And of course, it made Levy flush time and time again.

Unconsciously, she had created a mental image of him—a straightforward, thoughtful person who loved studying metals. He also did his weekend homework on Sundays, which may or may not slightly bother her when he pleads her for help at the last minute.

But for Levy, finding out little details about Gajeel was thrilling, and so was telling him details about herself. Getting to know each other through text messages wasn't something she thought would happen, but it was.

Unexpectedly, she felt happier when they talked—comfortable, even. As long as he was there, she was certain she could do anything. It was strange to think she could feel so deeply about someone when all she really knew was his name and personality. She couldn't help but want more; she wanted to make her mental image of him a reality.

"Hey, Gajeel. I want to know what you look like," Levy randomly mentioned in one of their conversations. His brusque way of speaking had started to rub off on her.

"I don't take pictures," he responded.

"Aren't you a little bit curious to see what I look like?" She slightly urged. "We've been talking for four months now."

"Oh, right. I forgot that four months means that we have to share pictures," he recalled sarcastically.

Levy pouted at his stubborn text. At that moment, she felt the impulse to send a picture of her pout. But as Gajeel sent another text, her pout was replaced by a grin.

"Alright, give me a sec. I'll send one right now. You send me one, too."

"Yes!" Levy cheered, finally being the winner for once. Lucky for Gajeel, she had a picture prepared in advance to send to him. With only two taps, she held her breath while sending her picture.

Placing her phone in her lap, Levy waited for it to light up with Gajeel's picture. She jumped when the text tone sounded through her phone. Restlessly unlocking it and clicking on the attachment, her body became still.

"T-That's how he looks like?" Levy stammered at her phone screen with wide eyes. She gulped while counting all the silver dots scattered across his intimidating face. She had never seen someone like this before; her mental image of him was completely destroyed.

"You look good," Gajeel said, causing Levy to yelp and drop her phone. As she picked it back up, her thumbs laid limp on the sides of her screen.

What was she supposed to say back? He wasn't unattractive, but she'd certainly never seen anyone like him before. How could she form those thoughts into words without sounding rude?

"I know, my piercings are a little too much," Gajeel mentioned a couple of minutes later, most likely noticing Levy's silence. "Want me to tell you what they all mean?"

"What do they mean?" Levy asked, a speck of ease returning to her body. Knowing that he didn't meaningless pierce his face gave her some comfort.

As he explained his piercings one by one, all of Levy's initial thoughts vanished. Despite his threatening appearance, he was still the sweet, mindful Gajeel she knew for the past four months.

"Well, that makes me feel a little better," she admitted once he finished. "I'm sorry for being prejudice."

"You were scared of me, weren't you?" he assumed. "It's okay to say it. You wouldn't be the first."

"I wasn't scared! I was only a little cautious," she corrected.

"I just like to express myself," he responded simply.

"And I appreciate that," she assured, a smile forming as she sent the text.

"You better," he said. "So, do we have to wait another four months until we can hear each other's voices?"

Levy's heart skipped a beat at the message. It was rare for him to think four minutes ahead, let alone four months. A part of her wanted to hear his voice right then and there, but she knew her pounding heart wouldn't be able to take it.

"Maybe a little sooner than that," she eventually answered.

"I look forward to it," he stated.

"Me too," she whispered along with her message. "Hey, it's getting late. Let's talk tomorrow, okay? Goodnight!"

"Night."

As Levy snuggled into her warm bed, the words of Gajeel's text drifted in her mind. Somehow, the more she thought about it, hearing his voice didn't seem so overwhelming anymore. She was ready to hear him and for him to hear her.

Perhaps she really could do anything with him after all.

* * *

Levy didn't realize that sending one picture of herself only resulted in sending dozens afterwards. In less than two weeks, Gajeel and her were sharing pictures left and right. Whether it was of the sunset, their dinner, or their homework, pictures were now a new, special part of their conversation.

But as always, pictures soon became unbearably unfulfilling. The silence of pictures was something neither of them could ignore anymore. Both of them felt too restless to keep their thoughts to themselves.

"I'm hearing your voice tonight. Got everything set up?" Gajeel nearly demanded one night.

Levy glanced from her phone to the headphones connected to her computer, butterflies popping up in her stomach. She had everything set for a while now, but she wasn't sure when the time was right. She supposed anytime was right for Gajeel.

"I'm ready when you are," she texted back.

"I'm waiting on the website."

Levy's fingers slightly trembled while typing in the website they were to meet on. She had daydreamed of this moment for what felt like forever, and she was more than ready to experience the real deal. But still, she couldn't shake off her frenzied emotions.

As she connected to their private chat room, she waited for a voice to sound through her headphones. When nothing came, she curiously typed on the chat.

"Is your microphone not working?" she asked.

"Click the little icon for it to sound," Gajeel typed back.

"Oh, right," she whispered as she realized. "Sorry."

"That's alright," a deep voice responded, causing Levy to jolt in her seat.

"Gajeel?!" she exclaimed in bewilderment. "Why didn't you tell me you could hear me?!"

"Surprise," he spoke in amusement.

"Don't ever scare me like that again." She breathed out, placing a hand on her chest to calm down her hammering heart.

"Do you have to breathe so loud into the microphone?" Gajeel inquired.

"Sorry!" she apologized again, warmth circulating on her self-conscious cheeks.

"Stop apologizing so much, Levy," he scoffed at her distress. "Hey, I'll be right back. I gotta use the bathroom."

"Okay, I'll be here."

As she heard silence on the other end, Levy sighed to herself. Her face started to blaze as she replayed the sound of her name coming from Gajeel's voice.

She didn't need anymore—she was addicted. His voice was raspy with an underlying smoothness of steel. It was purely resonating. She was positive he could make anything sound pleasant.

"What are you thinking about?" Gajeel's voice suddenly returned, having Levy jump in her seat again.

"Who said I was thinking about anything?" she countered a bit too quickly.

"You hum when you think," he remarked. "Don't think I forget everything you tell me."

"I was humming?" she squeaked. There was _no way_ she was going to tell him that she was thinking about him and his soothing voice.

"You speak just like you text," he chuckled. Her chest swelled at the sound, not wanting his laughs to end.

"You speak nothing like your texts," she commented. "You actually speak in full sentences."

"Not my fault I'm lazy," he muttered. "Hey, you know, this website has video chats, too. Wanna try it?"

Levy hesitated at his question; it had only been _five_ minutes since they heard each other's voices. Now he was going to see her? Gajeel was never this pushy. Was it because he wanted to confirm if she was good enough for him?

"Actually, it's okay if you don't want to right now," he spoke, interrupting her taunting thoughts. "I just got a little excited."

"You're excited to video chat with me?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I be? Now that I've heard your voice, I don't think I'll ever get it out of my head. I've never heard anything like it before."

"I've never heard anyone like you before, either," she responded quietly.

"I take that as a good thing."

Levy wordlessly gazed at her screen, taken aback by his previous words. As always, Gajeel said whatever was on his mind. If he could say whatever he wanted, why couldn't she do the same? She wanted to be like him—spontaneous. The only one keeping her from doing so was herself. She didn't want to be like that anymore.

"Let's do it!" Levy abruptly declared. "Let's video chat!"

"You sure?" Gajeel double-checked, just in case. "Don't do anything you don't want to. I'm not into that."

"I want to do it," she stated firmly until she realized how that sounded. "Wait! I didn't mean—"

"And _I'm_ the one with that thinks that way," he chuckled again. "Well, if you're really sure, then I'm ready when you are."

Levy nodded, moving her cursor onto the video icon. She was so absorbed in the moment, she forgot to check if she looked presentable. As the new tab loaded, she hurriedly fixed her stray hairs and sat up straight in her seat. She blinked incredulously when she was met with a webpage with herself in a box.

But then, the box flew to the corner of her screen. Taking its place was the one and only, Gajeel.

Time was at a standstill as Levy took in his appearance. His tousled, charcoal hair swayed over his shoulders, appearing silkier than she initially thought. His determined eyes were captivating even through the screen. And of course, his infamous piercings were still as intimidating as ever.

"It's you!" Levy blurted out, a large grin instantly forming on her lips. She waved at the camera, delighted to see him casually wave back.

"This is actually a lot more nerve-wracking than I thought." Gajeel raised a hand to his mouth, forcing a cough.

"It's okay to be nervous," she reassured, noticing their switch in roles. Her eyes wandered behind him and observed the various band posters hanging off the walls of his bedroom. "Your room looks really cool!"

"How many books do you have in your room?" He scrutinized behind her.

"Too many to count," she admitted bashfully. She raised a brow after seeing his eyes were still fixated behind her. "Hey, why won't you look at me?"

"Because," he muttered, instinctively withdrawing his gaze to his lap. "You're really cute."

"I could say the same thing to you," she said softly.

"Really?" He quickly perked up, lifting his head. Although he was simply on a screen, Levy's heart throbbed when their eyes finally connected.

"Why are you so surprised?" she questioned.

"I've never really been called that before," he revealed while scratching the back of his head. "Sounds weird, I guess."

Levy paused, surprised by his confession. She was never going to get tired of learning new things about him. Taking a deep breath, she said the first thing that came to mind.

"I think you're handsome," she stated.

The sight of Gajeel's perplexed eyes was enough for Levy's face to become a dark shade of crimson. But even then, she kept her chin held high.

"Thanks, Levy," he replied as the corners of his lips began to rise.

She smiled at his unnatural bashfulness, wishing she would be able to see his full smile. But with how she felt at that moment, she was sure it would be worth the wait.

Yet she couldn't help but wonder if Gajeel was also feeling the warm atmosphere between their screens. Were his eyes lingering on her just like her eyes were on him? Was his heart skipping a beat each time she spoke?

"Hey, Gajeel," she began, trying not to smile when his eyes subtly widened. "How do you feel right now?"

"Happy," he answered before dropping his gaze back to his lap. "Sorry. I don't want you to see my face right now."

"Are you blushing?" she asked.

"So what if I am?" he immediately retorted, but his coy tone made a smile form on her lips.

"It's okay to blush," she assured gently.

"I'm not really into this sappy stuff, Levy," he admitted. "This is all really new to me."

"Me too," she responded with a nod. "I've never had a boyfriend before, so I've never experienced anything like this."

"Wait, you're telling me you've _never_ been with anyone?" Gajeel whipped his head up, staring at her with bewilderment. "You've always been single?"

"Y-You get used to it after a while," Levy answered with a nervous laugh. Now, she was the one avoiding eye contact. "Is it a bad thing if I've never had a boyfriend?"

"Of course not," he guaranteed. "I think it makes this moment special for the both of us, then."

"Well, it definitely is for me," she replied with a nod.

"Me too," he agreed, a full smile forming in response.

"You smiled!" she exclaimed with a satisfied grin.

"Doesn't happen very often, so don't get used to it," he declared simply with his face returning to normal, though his eyes were just a bit brighter than usual.

"Well, I smile all the time, so you can get used to it." Levy waved off his nonchalant attitude. "That is, if you want to keep video chatting, of course."

"I wouldn't mind that, actually." He sent her a faint smirk.

Levy grinned at their unspoken promise, knowing that these special nights together were going to become routine from now on. If this were the case, she was going to get comfortable.

"So, how was your day?" she asked as she placed her elbow on her desk, resting her chin on her palm.

"Alright, so listen to this. I was sitting in chemistry, and this stupid guy…"

As Levy intently listened and watched Gajeel's matchless way of speaking, a pleasant sense of warmth radiated off her entire body. Finally, she understood the reason why her heart skipped a beat each time he licked his lips or even blinked before he spoke.

It was a rare feeling only meant for the most valuable treasures in life. And for once, Levy was perfectly okay with her favorite book sharing the same spot as Gajeel.

* * *

"Hey, you're five minutes late," Gajeel remarked as he shook his head in disapproval.

"Sorry! I was adding some final touches to your present," Levy replied, beaming when his facial expression softened.

"I don't even need a Christmas present when I have you already," he mumbled. He peeked up at his screen to find a flushed Levy. He smiled to himself—he was never going to get tired of seeing her like that.

"You can never have enough presents!" she proclaimed, ignoring the heat blazing off her face. "How's my present going?"

"Shipped it today," he revealed.

"You did?!" she gasped. "Why didn't you tell me when you did it?!"

"Because I'm telling you right now." He half-heartedly shrugged. "You're going to love it, by the way."

"I can't wait to see it!" She clapped her hands with excitement. "Who would have thought that we'd be sending each other Christmas presents one year later?"

Somehow, after twelve months, Levy and Gajeel were still consistently messaging one another. Along the way, they unintentionally established new traditions, such as sending a good morning and night text, playing online games together, and most importantly, having nightly video chats that Levy loved more than anything.

And before they realized it, they were a newly formed couple that were eager to mail one another tangible presents for Christmas. Well, Levy was the most eager one, but since Gajeel wasn't complaining, she took that as his anticipation.

So after weeks of planning and saving enough money to send presents to each other, Levy couldn't keep herself from squealing when she returned home from school and found a small, rectangular box laying on her doorstep. It was just a few days until Christmas, but it was impossible for her to wait until then.

"It's here, Gajeel!" she immediately texted him after entering her room. "I'm about to open it right now!"

"Hope you like it," he responded. "Also, there's a surprise inside of your gift."

Picking up the box, happiness flooded inside of Levy's chest as she read Gajeel's address posted on the box. What was in this box was something he had held once; the thought made her hands tremble.

As she tried to take calming, deep breaths, she sat down on the edge of her bed and carefully removed the pieces of tape from the box. The moment she saw the familiar spine of a book, her vision became blurry.

"He sent me a book," Levy whispered in disbelief, unable to fight back her tears. Once removed from the box, she grasped the book as if she was afraid it would slip through her fingers. It wasn't just any book she had mentioned wanting several months before—this was a book that Gajeel picked for _her._

Remembering his words of a surprise inside, she slowly opened the book to find black ink scribbled on the first blank page. She inhaled deeply, falling in love with all the crooked lines that created his handwriting.

 _Hope I can comment on your review on this someday, too._

Every Christmas, Levy only expected to be given two things: new books and new bookmarks. But for the first time this year, she was given something that was just as great; if not, better.

"Your book mark," she breathed out on their video chat.

"My note?" Gajeel asked, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It was nothing—"

"I loved it," she interrupted him, tears forming in her eyes again. "I loved it a lot."

"I'm glad," he responded with his own smile. "Don't cry, alright? It's supposed to make you happy. It's a happy gift."

"T-They're happy tears," she insisted, sniffing and hiccupping as the tears began to fall. "I-I can't wait to read the book! I'll read it as soon as I can!"

"Yeah, yeah," he chuckled while watching his flustered girlfriend. "Merry Christmas, Levy."

"Merry Christmas, Gajeel," Levy replied in between sniffs. "Promise we'll spend next Christmas together, okay?"

"You already know I'm not going anywhere," he answered simply.

Levy smiled at his words. His blunt tone might not sound like it, but his words were sincerer than anyone she had ever heard.

As the days flowed by, Christmas night eventually made its way to the couple. The two sat comfortably with one another, soaking in each other's soft voices.

"So, I met someone on the website we met on," Levy mentioned. "Her name is Erza. She invited me to join her group chat."

"Are you going to join?" Gajeel inquired skeptically.

Levy paused, still not sure if she wanted to or not. Erza was a stranger, after all. Levy wasn't sure if she could experience another scam. But after thinking of an idea, she grinned.

"I'll join if you do."

"I guess we can try it out," Gajeel approved.

"Really?" Levy asked with wide eyes, caught off guard by his response. "You don't mind?"

"Having some extra people to talk to doesn't seem too annoying."

"I'm sure they're nice people," she assured. "I wonder if they'll accept us?"

"It's fine if they don't." He carelessly shrugged. "We won't need them, anyway."

"I don't know…" She hummed thoughtfully to herself. "I have a good feeling about this for some reason."

"If you say so," he replied. "Just make sure we keep video chatting."

"Don't worry, we'll always make room for that." She nodded with a smile. "Oh, right! So about your book mark—"

"Let's not talk about it," he cut her off, a light pink appearing on his cheeks. "I don't even remember what I wrote."

"Yeah, yeah," she giggled, deciding to spare him just this once.

So, with the plans to join the group chat the next day, Levy and Gajeel continued their quiet Christmas night filled with hushed voices and sweet words.

And little did they know, future Christmases were going to include a group of four extraordinary people that would create the greatest, most compelling mark in their book.

* * *

 **Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! Long A/N commencing in 3... 2... 1...**

 **First things first: This one-shot is dedicated to PhantomPierce-Okamoto, the person I was assigned to on Tumblr to write a fanfic for! I honestly screamed a little when I found out I was assigned her because not only did this give me a chance to try out writing Gajevy, but I was also able to write a one-shot for a very good friend of mine.**

 **Thank you Phantom for giving me this amazing opportunity! And of course, remembering me after the two and a half years that we have known each other :') Guys, please go read her fics because they're really cute!**

 **So yes, as if it wasn't painfully obvious, this is a prequel to _Love At First Site!_ I thought it would be nice to see a glimpse of Levy and Gajeel's life before Lucy came into the picture. Or should I say - marked the book.**

 **But really, I still cannot believe that it's only been 3 months since my hiatus began. It's been a long, long 3 months, guys. Senior year is as hectic as ever and so is school and ahh. Absolutely crazy, I say. Here's a condensed timeline:**

 **clueless about the future → applied to a university I don't want to go to → clueless again → found a great uni 3 hours away and fell in love → applied → cried → got accepted into the uni I don't want to go to → cried again → wrote 5 essays in three months → got accepted into the uni I want to go to!**

 **That's right, I have finally committed to a university! Can you believe it? I remember being a freshman and thinking of Nalu ideas in my boring algebra class and here I am now with only one semester left of high school. Ah, I am so ready!**

 **So with how things are right now, I don't know when my hiatus will be ending. I'll be back someday for sure, but for now, my hiatus still remains.**

 **Thank you to those who continue to read or even reread my stories. For those who have never read my stories before, thank you for reading this one! I appreciate you all so, so much.**

 **It's a little disheartening that I won't be posting on the first day of the year like I have the past two years, but I will be here in spirit! I'm also always available on my Tumblr: amehanaaa.**

 **That concludes my extremely long A/N! Again, thank you all so much for sticking with me. I hope you all enjoyed this one-shot! Happy Holidays and see you all later. ~**


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